Craig attempts to change Guilty plea

[Kevin]

If he's guilty, he should resign. That's the bottom line. Sex criminals ought not be in Congress. Not only should he resign, he should do time. If it was one of us in the same position, we'd be looking at time plus having to register as a sex offender.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Kevin

If he's guilty, he should resign. That's the bottom line. Sex criminals ought not be in Congress. Not only should he resign, he should do time. If it was one of us in the same position, we'd be looking at time plus having to register as a sex offender.

well....hmm....he's being charged for a misdemeanor...I am not understanding this.

I have a question Kevin, you may know this better than I do.

(No snark in this, I really want to know)

What does his crime have to be for it to be considered to be a 'sex crime' to then make him a registered sex offender?

Wouldn't what he did have to be considered a felony under the law under the state for where the crime was committed?

[scbelle]

From what I understand of the case, it is not a "sex crime". The bathroom at that airport had become known for a place for men to hook up with each other and have consensual sexual encounters. If sex had taken place, then a crime (sex in a public place-- lewd and lascivious conduct??) would have been an appropriate charge. But since there was no sex, I really don't see what the problem is. That's not to say that I find the Senator's behavior unbecoming of an elected official; not because of his homosexual tendencies, but because of his dishonesty and hypocrisy.

When I was growing up, my grandmother's preacher got caught in a sting operation at an adult bookstore. He had approached an undercover agent and solicited PAID sex, so obviously, that's a big no-no. But I don't think Craig was looking to pay for it, was he? And I don't think he was being an underage predator, either. But, I get snippits of US news over here, so I could be wrong.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by scbelle

From what I understand of the case, it is not a "sex crime". The bathroom at that airport had become known for a place for men to hook up with each other and have consensual sexual encounters. If sex had taken place, then a crime (sex in a public place-- lewd and lascivious conduct??) would have been an appropriate charge. But since there was no sex, I really don't see what the problem is. That's not to say that I find the Senator's behavior unbecoming of an elected official; not because of his homosexual tendencies, but because of his dishonesty and hypocrisy.

When I was growing up, my grandmother's preacher got caught in a sting operation at an adult bookstore. He had approached an undercover agent and solicited PAID sex, so obviously, that's a big no-no. But I don't think Craig was looking to pay for it, was he? And I don't think he was being an underage predator, either. But, I get snippits of US news over here, so I could be wrong.

This link details what happened:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/wa...tJi8RgJbQtJvcQ

[scbelle]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

This link details what happened:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/wa...tJi8RgJbQtJvcQ

Thanks, but that still doesn't completely clarify to me if the "lewd conduct" complaints made that led to the sting operation were due to consensual hook ups, or if it is a case of male prostitutes working the bathrooms. My thought is the former, because if it was the latter, I'm sure the story would have been that Craig was attempting to hire a prostitute.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by scbelle

Thanks, but that still doesn't completely clarify to me if the "lewd conduct" complaints made that led to the sting operation were due to consensual hook ups, or if it is a case of male prostitutes working the bathrooms. My thought is the former, because if it was the latter, I'm sure the story would have been that Craig was attempting to hire a prostitute.

I wonder if he was set up........

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by scbelle

Thanks, but that still doesn't completely clarify to me if the "lewd conduct" complaints made that led to the sting operation were due to consensual hook ups, or if it is a case of male prostitutes working the bathrooms. My thought is the former, because if it was the latter, I'm sure the story would have been that Craig was attempting to hire a prostitute.

I believe we're talking consensual acts here. Just public ones. The ACLU is on Craig's side in that there is no reason why one can't solicit sex in the bathroom, as long as they're not having it...

[scbelle]

Silly musings


It’s not a crime to make a pass at someone in a public place, but it could be a crime to engage in conduct that elicits “alarm or resentment” in others. Asking for a phone number in a bar: OK. Implicitly offering sex in an airport bathroom: Not OK.

[Sugar08]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I believe we're talking consensual acts here. Just public ones. The ACLU is on Craig's side in that there is no reason why one can't solicit sex in the bathroom, as long as they're not having it...

That's my problem with the whole thing. He was set up in a place where men were known to hook up. I don't think that makes him a criminal.